Key information
Executive summary
Total programme expenditure will be up to £340,000.
Decision
1. approves the GLA’s:
(a) receipt of £80k grant funding from City Bridge Trust (CBT);
(b) expenditure of up to £340k (including a total of £260k from Communities and Social Policy/Team London and Community Sport budgets in 19/20, 20/21 and 21/22 and £80k as per decision 1(a) above) comprising the:
(i) award of up to £210k grant funding as a contribution to the costs of third party project costs; and
(ii) expenditure of up to £130k on support (including ‘design lab’, research and evaluation services);
(c) seeking of further funding from third parties to enhance the programme; and
2. delegates authority to each of the Assistant Directors of Communities and Social Policy and Team London and Community Sport to approve (acting individually or together), via Assistant Director Decision forms, the receipt and expenditure of any such further funding secured.
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
London’s civil society sector is a critical partner for City Hall in supporting communities, delivering services and making London the vibrant place that it is. For the purposes of our programmes we define civil society as: where and when people take action to improve the lives of others. It includes formal organisations such as voluntary and community organisations, informal groups of people who come together for a common purpose, and individuals who act to make their community a better place to live.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) is well placed strategically to support the civil society sector’s activity in London. This has been highlighted in the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Social Integration strategies and through the GLA commissioned or co-commissioned reports Harnessing the capital’s giving and the Way Ahead report (a cross-sector report looking at the future of London’s civil society infrastructure).
The civil society sector plays a key role in supporting London to thrive, providing support to communities and Londoners most in need. The civil society sector in London is an asset, with an estimated 120,000 groups ranging from small unfunded activists to large organisations all helping London be inclusive, active and economically successful. In 2018 around three-quarters of households used a charity’s services.
To retain and grow a strong and vibrant civil society sector, it needs access to a robust, diverse and effective support system. This includes civil society infrastructure (CSI) organisations, who deliver capacity building, facilitate networks and partnerships, and strengthen the ‘voice’ of the sector. Without this support, small local groups, that reach those who are most seldom heard, can struggle to be sustainable and secure funding or to identify best practice, and can risk duplicating services.
CSI organisations can function at a local, regional or national level and, as highlighted in the national civil society strategy Building a Future that Works for Everyone: “Just as business depends on available infrastructure to flourish, like transport and finance systems, social sector organisations depend on an appropriate support system. This includes the right people and networks, information and advice, knowledge and skills, adequate and affordable places to work from, and opportunities and incentives to collaborate” .
CSI organisations focusing on equalities play a vital role that goes beyond the scope of generic CSI organisations. Their specialist expertise is a key element of support for people with protected characteristics and seldom-heard groups, because they are able to tailor support to account for the specific needs and contexts of these groups. They also enable strong local and grassroots groups to support Londoners most in need. For London, this helps ensure a fairer society and inclusive growth that benefits all.
This layer of support has been particularly affected by cuts to civil society funding despite growing demands on services. For example, in April 2017 London Councils stopped funding pan London civil society support, after 30 years. A report prepared for City Bridge Trust in 2017 on support for London infrastructure indicated a 50% decline in funding from 2014-2017 .
To date the GLA has supported London CSI activity through collaborating with and funding programmes such as the Cornerstone Fund (funding of £175,000 was granted to City Bridge Trust in 18/19, by MD2392); delivering ad hoc support and training including data workshops; creating the London CSI Forum ; and working closely with London Plus . However, there is currently little targeted support for CSI organisations focusing on equalities – a gap which the GLA, with the support of others, believes needs to be filled if London’s civil society is to flourish.
This specialist civil society Infrastructure programme builds on the activities of the Mayor’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group and the GLA Grants Working Group . Through the Grant Working Group we have identified ‘cold spots’ in the reach of GLA-wide grant programmes in reaching user-led groups. This means that grant programmes struggle to reach certain geographical areas or communities of interest across London. This programme will act as a foundation for grant programmes across the GLA reaching equalities focused groups.
Programme outline
This programme will support specialist organisations that work with Londoners and communities most at need. The initiative will have three main areas of activity:
• Grant funding. Supporting CSI organisations focusing on equalities across London through the award of grant funding as a contribution to such organisations’ costs of developing their service models or support for their respective sectors. This will support organisations to develop their own priorities based on their understanding of need;
• Design lab and network support. This will be a package of support that responds to the funding recipients’ specific and individual needs or challenges they face. It will include developing core strength, sustainability, data capacity and advocacy; and
• Research and evaluation. This will enable the GLA to better understand the wider system around equalities-focused CSI organisations operating at a regional level and will include work on metrics and performance as well as consideration of sustainable future funding pathways.
The programme has two main objectives:
- Addressing gaps in the current support offer (capacity building, networks and voice) for civil society organisations; and
- Improving the GLA’s understanding of the scope and impact of equalities focused CSI organisations in London, to inform any future programming.
We anticipate that this targeted approach will achieve the following outcomes:
- Contribute towards improving the sustainability and efficacy of these organisations; and
- In particular, assisting civil society groups to achieve better outcomes for individuals with protected characteristics at a local level over the longer term.
This programme aims to bring together GLA work on civil society, volunteering, giving and equality and fairness. It also acts directly on several of the philanthropy review’s[1] recent recommendations including seeking increased opportunities for collaboration and piloting new impactful and systemic level projects.
We have established relationships with two external funders, the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) and City Bridge Trust (CBT) both of which would be keen to work with us on this proposed programme. This would include a contribution of £80k from the City Bridge Trust. We are therefore, seeking approval of the receipt and expenditure of funding from CBT and for the expenditure of this and GLA budgets.
The NLCF would align funding with this programme, to the value of £160k. We will therefore also work with NLCF through an aligned funding model. The aligned funding model means that the NLCF will ‘partner’ with us on this programme and share application processes, however they will issue grants directly rather than transferring their contribution to the GLA.
Proposed programme and budget:
The grant programme (GLA and CBT funding) will be administered by the GLA. This will include an open application process that targets civil society infrastructure organisations. All applications will be scored using a consistent framework and interviews will be carried out before grant decisions are made. The anticipated scale has been determined following research and engagement with the sector and funders, and would allow recipients organisations to develop new approaches to capacity building.
A procurement process will be undertaken to secure specialist providers to deliver elements 2 (Network support and design lab) and 3 (Research and evaluation) of the programme offer as set out in Paragraph 1.10 and 2.6. In order to secure delivery partners/suppliers we will complete an appropriate competitive exercise and enter into contract with the highest scoring bidders. Throughout this process, the provisions of the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code will be followed. Using research gathered in the preparation of this programme proposal we will create a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the delivery of strands 2 and 3. Research has already taken place to ensure the viability of this programme, part of which included the exploration/viability of potential delivery partners. These, and (potentially) further organisations will be asked to respond to the RFP.
[1] Harnessing the capital’s giving: What is the role of the Mayor and Greater London Authority in enabling civic philanthropy, September 2018
Under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Mayor of London must have ‘due regard’ of the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation as well as to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.
Equality, inclusion and collaboration are the drivers behind this programme. The work of both the Communities and Social Policy Unit and Team London embraces London’s diversity by connecting and working with Londoners from a variety of backgrounds.
This programme will particularly focus on specialist organisations who work with Londoners and communities who face significant disadvantages. The prospectus for the grant programme will specify a number of specialist areas that will be prioritised for funding. The decision on which specialist areas to prioritise will be based on analysis of the communities that are likely to be most in need of support from specialist organisations and where there is an identified gap in provision of support for these organisations. This analysis is attached as an appendix to this MD.
This programme directly supports the work of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Board and the Inclusive London strategy. The EDI Advisory Group have discussed the proposal and will be used as an access point to reach front line organisations and shape the offer of support.
Key risks and issues
Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities
The Mayoral priorities of social integration, social mobility and community engagement are all supported by a healthy civil society. We need to work with communities and civil society groups across London to encourage active participation in community and civic life from all Londoners, which this programme supports.
The Mayor’s Inclusive London strategy details how across housing, education, employment, health, safety and culture, Londoners with different protected characteristics, or who face economic or other disadvantage, face barriers to inclusion, have worse outcomes or are not having their needs properly considered. This is also borne out by recent GLA research. For example, the Cumulative Impact Assessment of the Government’s welfare changes on Londoners (published in July) highlights that Disabled Londoners and Black Londoners have lost out more than other groups[1]. The Survey of Londoners, also published in summer 2019, found that more than a third of Londoners report having been treated unfairly in the last 12 months because of one or several protected characteristics or because of their social class[2].
There is a specific Mayoral commitment within the ‘Leading By Example’ Chapter of the Inclusive London strategy that the GLA will ‘work with London’s civil society organisations to strengthen London’s diverse voluntary and community sector’[3].
The All of Us Strategy identifies that social integration is determined by the level of equality between people, the nature of their relationships, and their degree of participation in the communities in which they live. This programme directly responds to all three of these themes.
The GLA-commissioned philanthropy review (September 2018) identified several areas that the GLA could lead on including more targeted support to cold spots through better use of data and evidence and increased collaboration (internally and externally) to support better brokerage of giving (time, talent and treasure) to areas most in need. This programme provides an opportunity to activate these recommendations and pilot a new approach.
Due consideration has been given to potential conflict of interest, such as that may exist or arise within/as a consequence of this programme and current relationships with prospective bidder, for funding or contracting opportunities. We have declared GLA funding awarded to City Bridge Trust by Team London (funding of £175,000 was granted to City Bridge Trust in 18/19, approved by MD2392) and in any event funding application and procurement processes will be conducted solely by reference to those processes, no account being taken of relationships with and no communications being made with current partners outside of the parameters for those processes. The GLA Contracts and Funding Code will be followed to ensure fair procurement of the specialist providers, with conflict of interest being considered as part of this. Should future conflict of interest occur, this will be declared to the relevant GLA officers and appropriate action (for example a change of programme responsibilities) will be actioned.
[3] Inclusive London Strategy, Page 153
Approval is being sought for receipt of £80,000 in external income from the City Bridge Trust.
Approval is also being sought for expenditure of £340,000 in grant funding (£210k) and procurement of a support, research and evaluation package (£130k).
The expenditure of £340,000 is profiled as; 2019-20 (£120k), 2020-21 (£150k) and 2021-22 (£70k).
The net cost to the GLA is £260,000. The remaining £80,000 will be funded by the grant income from the City Bridge Trust set out in 5.1 above. The below table displays the sources of funding.
The foregoing sections of this report indicate that:
- the decisions requested of the Mayor concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the statutory powers of the GLA to do such things as may be considered to further, and or be facilitative of or conducive or incidental to the furthering of, the promotion of social development in Greater London; and
- in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sough officers have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:
(a) pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality for all people;
(b) consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
(c) consult with appropriate bodies.
In taking the decisions requested, the Mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.
The Mayor may, under section 38 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, delegate the exercise of the GLA’s functions to the Assistant Director of Communities and Social Policy/Team London and Community Sport as proposed.
Should the Mayor be minded to approve the recommendations in respect of which decisions are sought officers must ensure that:
(a) the GLA can meet the conditions to which the provision of CBT funding is subject, seeking legal and finance advice as necessary;
(b) the GLA does not act in reliance of that funding until legally binding commitments are in place in concerning the provision of the same;
(c) to the extent that further third party funding is sought the GLA: (i) can again meet the conditions of any such funding; and (ii) GLA does not act in reliance of that funding until legally binding commitments are in place in concerning the provision of the same;
(d) the supplies and/or services required for the delivery of the programme are procured by Transport for London Procurement and officers should liaise with Transport for London Procurement in this regard and ensure that appropriate contract documentation is put in place with and executed by proposed service providers before the commencement of the required supplies and/or services;
(e) to the extent that the GLA intends to award grant funding to third parties in respect of projects that align with the aims of the programme that funding agreements are put in place with and executed by the GLA and the recipients before making any commitment to the award of the same; and
(f) the proposed arrangements do not fetter unreasonably the exercise of a successor administration’s discretion following the 2020 GLA elections, ensuring that contractual arrangements are severable at the discretion of the GLA, to the extent that they extend beyond the current Mayoral term.
Signed decision document
MD2546 Specialist Civil Society Infrastructure Programme - SIGNED
Supporting documents
MD2546 Appendix 1 - Specialist CSI evidence base